The government on Sunday indicated that the current COVID-19 epidemic scenario did not warrant a State-wide lockdown.
Kasaragod district, which reported five new cases, is on lockdown since Saturday. The administration has suspended all non-essential services and clamped down on gatherings and free movement of people.
The government also brought Kozhikode under prohibitory orders to restrict the assemblage of people. However, the administration has not suspended commerce or travel but merely narrowed working hours between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Union government has advised State governments to issue appropriate orders to allow only essential services to operate in 75 districts across the country, 10 of which are in Kerala — Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kottayam, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram.
The advisory has triggered a measure of uncertainty in Kerala with several news channels interpreting it as an inviolable lockdown order from the Centre. The office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attempted to clear the air by refuting the news reports that State was on the cusp of a crippling lockdown.
It said the government had not planned to impose any new restrictions than those already in force. Chief Secretary Tom Jose, later, clarified that the Centre had given Kerala considerable latitude to decide its course of action in the matter.
As of now, the government did not perceive a situation that warranted suspension of ordinary life to ward off the pandemic in the districts listed as COVID-19 affected by the Centre.
The government had already banned assemblies, imposed social distancing norms stringently and restricted inter-State travel. The measures are enough for now. However, the situation remained fluid.
Late Saturday, Mr. Jose empowered Collectors of other districts to invoke the provisions of the Act and issue prohibitory orders to bring life to a standstill in their respective jurisdictions if the pandemic situation worsened.
However, the Collectors would require the prior concurrence of the Additional Chief Secretary, Home.
